BUSY BUSY BEE!!!

Just when I thought things were about as hectic as they could be, I was wrong :)

I sure am thankful that I got a raise, because two of my co-workers have VERY unexpectedly left the company since Tuesday. These 2 people just so happen to be my "team mates" and so I am now doing 3 jobs on top of my own. I am frazzled and frantic but I just have to remember that no one is expecting me to be perfect. My mom keeps reminding me of that FedEx commercial where that guy is sitting in his office, bored to tears, and he just keeps yelling "Busy Busy Bee!!". I have been saying that to my co-workers all day as I've walked back and forth from office to office. :) I just kinda expect to much of myself right away. My bosses have been great about reminding me that they are just thankful for whatever I can do. They will be hiring atleast one new person by next week, but I still have to train that person, etc. But, my husband took me shopping tonight (Ann Taylor is my best friend) and I ate some yummy waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A.... so I'm pretty sure things are looking up!

Besides the crazy stuff happening at work, I am so thankful for the way God has been blessing me this week! We met our kids for the firs time at High 5 Kid's Choir. We were expecting around 80 children and were SHOCKED when 150 SHOWED UP!!! It was pretty much mass chaos and I loved every minute of it. Due to the overwhelming amount of Pre-K/Kindergarten children, I helped lead a room for that age group. My favorite part of the evening was when I asked the kids if any of them played an instrument. Several shouted out "Piano!" or "Violin!". But my favorite was a little boy who told me he played "the radio". Smart kid! :)

Then I went to our first meeting of the Gathering Singers, our worship choir. On our first night we were already busting out with some ROCKIN harmonies! I am so glad that I can get to know new people AND continue to worship the Lord in the way I love the most!

On a more serious note.... I have a prayer request. Three years ago, Grant's parents lost the vast majority of their home due to Hurricane Katrina. We were supposed to go visit this weekend but his parents are evacuating due to Hurricane Gustav. Seeing as how it took them well over a year to be completely back in their home, we are praying praying PRAYING that Gustav spares their house this time around. Please pray for safety for all involved. We will keep you updated!

And I am now off to bed so that I can be ready for my three jobs in the morning :)

Praise for the Raise

Grant and I spent Friday night in Waco at our friends Jonathan and Abby's wedding! Grant worked with both of them while in college and it was nice to see them tie the knot... And for you trivia buffs, Jonathan caught the garter at our wedding!

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Reyes

I really really really enjoyed these cakes.
I know it is hard to tell what these are.... but these are beautiful flowers dangling from the ceiling at the reception, and what is most impressive is that these flowers were hand-strung by the GROOMSMEN! They do serve a purpose!! :)
These are our friends David and Sara. Aren't they kinda precious?
My groom. I pretty much love him.


Saturday morning, we woke up at the lovely Waco Holiday Inn and drove back to Houston... at 6:00am. My husband made a 9:00 tee time in Houston that he just had to play. But it's okay, we stopped at a gas station where I bought my breakfast: 1 Rice Krispy Treat, 1 package of Peanut M&M's and 1 Diet Coke. Breakfast of Champions!


I cleaned my house top to bottom on Saturday. I feel better about myself when my house is clean. I don't know why, but I feel like I have a better attitude when my house is all purty! And to make it better, just as I was wiping my kitchen table, my husband came home with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. I think it was a thank you gift for agreeing to drive back to Houston so early for a golf game! Needless to say, I was glad to have some fresh flowers on my kitchen table.


Sunday morning I went to church and was very glad to have our Pastor Gregg back from sabattical. (However, it must be said that Curtis Jones did an AWESOME job in his absence!). I also was on "duty" for first hour working the sign up table for the first KIDS CHOIR meeting this Wednesday!! I am so excited to meet all these kids and get involved in such a wonderful ministry. ANNNND after church I had lunch with my Linds, as well as blogger ABBY and Nikki! I do love me some queso from Red Robin!

Today is Monday and I was back to work. My week is going to look a little different since I am spending most my week training the new accountant in our procedures. I would also like to give my Jesus some HUGE PRAISE for the RAISE I was given on Friday! :) I was called into the president's office on Friday and got the wonderful news. It is a HUGE blessing and I am beyond grateful... Thank You Lord. It's not me, it's YOU!!

I Am Thankful for Katie

I was thinking this evening about how much I love and adore my dear darling friend Katie....

Katie and I are coming up here on our one year anniversary of being friends! :) The Lord blessed us with her and Mo while we were in Baton Rouge. Aside from leaving Grant's family, leaving Katie and Mo was the hardest part of our move to Houston. We still miss them dearly.

During the work week, Katie and I chat the entire day long on gmail chat! :) Call us slackers, or what have you, but I seriously do not think I could get through my week without my constant conversation with her. We talk about our marriages, our jobs, our faith....Sometimes it is really serious, deep conversation where we encourage each other with kind words or, if needed, blunt honesty.... other times we just have fun conversations... (What are you having for lunch today? What are you wearing today? Guess who else is pregnant? We go home in 3 hours and 46 minutes!! )

We also have a game where we tell each other what our current post it notes say.... I think yesterday I had 1. Call Kay w/ Partners, 2. Email elongation report to MK, 3. Waiting for Approval and 4. A picture of a butterfly and "jenny" in block letters..... The post it note game is always fun.

Katie and I get along so well because she has the same sense of humor as me... but also because she has such a kind, sweet heart. I treasure her so much as a friend and I miss her so much. She blesses me so much... she is a constant friend, helper, listener, and compassionate girl. I am so proud of her, she has changed so much in the year that I have known her and I am constantly impressed with how much she wants to glorify God as a person and as a wife. She has taught me alot about obedience. I admire her passionate heart. I learn so much from her about how to love my husband more. God truly brought me a kindred spirit!

Sweet precious Katie... know that I love you with my whole heart and I am BEYOND thankful for you!!!

When Did I Get Busy?

Something has happened. In the last 2 weeks or so, my life has gotten alot more hectic! Growing up, all through my childhood and on into highschool, I moved non-stop. We always had an activity going on every single weekend and most week nights. When I went to college, I was shocked at all my free time. Even in our first year or so of marriage, I wasn't involved in any kind of weekly activity. It was strange for me to be at home every night! I've needed something to DO! Then, we moved to Houston, and getting re-settled here kept social things at a slow pace. But that is all about to change!

Wednesday was my birthday, and we went out for my birthday dinner. Thursday night Grant and I had dinner with our friends Tiffany & Justin. Friday night I had a date with my Lindsee (we saw Mamma Mia and ate some yummy yummy California Pizza Kitchen) and Saturday night we had dinner with our friends Kelly, Rob, Jessica & Brian. Well, let me rephrase that... Jessica, Kelly and I sat at one end of the table and had dinner together while Rob, Grant and Brian sat at the other end of the table and had dinner together. There wasn't much mingling between the men and the women. At one point the girls and I stopped talking about what the Lord was doing in our life and tuned into what the guys were talking about: the TV show "Jackass" (Can I say that word on here?!) But that is neither here nor there. Back to my point.... I had some sort of social activity 4 nights in a row. That has been pretty unheard of lately.

At work, I have pretty much doubled my responsibilities. One of my co-workers quit and I have taken on her position, as well as fulfilling my own. It has been challenging and my days go by much quicker but I am busy busy busy at the office. I also enjoy the view from my office window (Saks Fifth Avenue!!).

Now, starting this week, my weekday evening are about to get more full. God has revealed some great ministry opportunities for me and I am SO glad to be involved with them! Starting this Wednesday I will be serving with the Kids Choir at our church... I am not sure exactly what my role is yet, but I don't care. I just want to be there and serve. After Kid's Choir each week, I will then go and be blessed yet again to serve in the Adult Choir. I miss singing and I am so glad I will get to be part of the awesome worship ministry that God has blessed our church with. Also, beginning in the fall, I will be spending my Tuesday nights assisting with the Houston Children's Chorus. (That is THREE choirs! Goodness gracious!)

As I said, somehow, I just got busy! I'm excited though. I do better when I have alot to do. It is when things get really really slow that I procrastinate and focus on the negative. When things are moving fast, I don't have time to whine or complain.

I have been praying these last few days that the Lord would continue to reveal to me where He wants me to be and how I can be more glorifying to Him. I am so excited about all of these new opportunities and am looking forward to the things that Jesus is going to teach me and the joy I will have as I serve Him! :) YAY for new things!!

Have a great evening, friends!

Lessons from the Dog

This morning, Grant decided to take Moxie to the "Bark Park". It's a little gated area for puppies to run and play. They have little ponds they can splash in and little water fountains to drink out of..... Moxie always has a BALL when he is there and it is so fun to see him run off some of that seemingly never-ending energy. I decided not to go, because it is 168 degrees outside.

Anyways, I watched out of my window as Grant was trying to get Moxie in the backseat of his car. Moxie was putting the brakes on. He was holding his ground, staring at Grant in the face as if to say "No way, I'm not getting in there. Last time we went in there you took me to that kennel place which is actually the Vet's office and mom kept telling me I was going to "camp" and I stayed there for 3 days and they gave me shots. And the time before that we drove for 7 hours and I had to pee the whole time. No way, buddy". Eventually, Grant got him in the car and off they went. I smirked to myself as if to say "Just you wait, buddy. You'll be so happy once you get there".

I hate to compare the Most Holy of Holies to a dog owner and myself to a dog.... but I realized that in that moment. How many times have I "put the brakes" on a path that the Lord was leading me down? How many times have I listed the 11 reasons why I should NOT do what the Lord was so clearly telling me to do?

And now, looking back, I see that He was smirking at me, saying, "Just you wait, baby girl". Yes, there are times when a path He chooses for us takes us to the Vet's office and gives us shots, which does not feel good and it hurts, perhaps even a bit broken hearted... but those "shots" we get are to make us healthier and stronger. He loves us so much, even the painful stuff He may put us through is for Good. And maybe next time God puts us in the car.... we should just trush Him cause's He's the smarter, wiser One and maybe we're gonna go run around and play and frolick in the sun!! God loves to watch us burn off some of that seemingly never-ending energy....

My Birf-day

Hey friends! Can we just PRAISE the LORD that it is Friday?!?! Believe it or not, I feel like this week has actually gone by quite quickly and I really have had a great week.

My birthday was Wednesday and it was just wonderful! My office had an apple pie/ice cream party for me which was AWESOME. Grant walked into my office in the afternoon with a dozen red roses (awwwwwww) and we had dinner at this yummy Italian place called Crappito's.

I am just beyond blessed by my husband, family and friends. So many people called me on Wednesday. I will say though, that my most favorite phone call was from my dear darling Sally who lives in North Africa. It has been months and months and months since I have talked to her on the phone and the minute I heard her voice I started bawling. I think we just sat on the phone and cried together for 20 minutes! :) You blessed my heart, Sal!

Last night we had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (YUM!) with Tiffany, my college roommate, and her boyfriend Justin. We love them and are rooting for them to live in Houston someday so we can all be BFF.

So here I am at work, with my dozen roses on my desk, looking at my office window at Saks Fifth Avenue. Maybe I should go use some of my birthday money there. Or maybe I should just go to Target! :-D

Love ya'll, have a GREAT weekend!!

I Am Not Even Kidding

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried, people!

Remember just 2 weeks ago or so when I made a post saying that I am going to be an aunt again?

Well....

I'm going to be an aunt.

Again.

FOR REALS!!!!!!!!!

So just about 2 days after Ronda confirmed she was having TWINS (yaaaay!) I was getting ready for work one morning and my cell phone started chirping. It said I had a "Picture Message" from my sister Jaclyn.

I opened up the picture to see a precious precious picture of my little Grace Parker, smiling from ear to ear, wearing a t-shirt that says "Big Sister". I about fainted!!

My sister Jaclyn is pregnant with her second little punkin! PRAISE GOD!!! The two munchkins will be about 2 years apart. I am just beyond thrilled and excited.

So by April of 2009, Grant and I will be an aunt and uncle to SIX little ones!!!

I feel so blessed. I absolutely adore and love the three nieces I already have and I continue to wait for and pray for the 3 little ones that are on the way.

I mean is this unbelievable or what?!??

Eyebrow Maintenance

Ever since I was 12 or 13 years old.... I have been getting my eyebrows waxed. Whenever I turned that age when it was necessary to keep my brows nicely shaped, my mom tried to tweeze my brows and I just about lost my marbles.

I find tweezing SO incredibly painful. Red heads have really sensitive skin and the area around my eyebrows is even more delicate. I cried everytime my mom would try to tweeze so eventually we found that waxing worked better for me. They could do more at one time and it didn't last as long.

So for the past 13 years or so... I get my brows waxed monthly. And everytime, I tell the lady "Could you please tweeze as little as possible? Possibly not at all? I really hate it and it hurts me really badly. No tweezers. Use as much wax as needed, but no tweezers". Some of the ladies are absolute angels and they don't tweeze me at all. Some ladies think that I am just being silly, and maybe I am just trying to give them a giggle and they tweeze me for 90% of my time there. I cry the WHOLE time.

The problem is, I have to be very methodical about when I go get my brows waxed. Due to my super sensitive skin, when I get my brows waxed I need to give myself a good 6 hours or so for the redness to go down. I look like someone painted my face with a red sharpie. This really limits the time when I can go to the salon. I would love to utilize my lunch break to get my brows waxed but I can't be all red faced the whole day. Honestly, the best time to go is early on a Saturday morning when I don't have any plans till dinner.

Also, this is one of those things that I have a hard time justifying spending money on. There is a way to groom your eyebrows without spending $20 everytime you go.... I just can't tolerate it.

Anyways.... last night I was going to bed and was really thinking how badly I REALLY needed to clean up my brows. But I couldn't go to the salon till Saturday at the earliest.

I was just envisioning my best friend Lindsee and the hours upon hours in highschool that she would sit on her bed and tweeze and tweeze and tweeze. She would tweeze so much that we would have to take her tweezers away. We would say "enough, Linds. You've done enough. Put the tweezers down. Enough is enough". Lindsee would cry out "Just 6 more! Please, I have just a few more to go!". But we held our ground. She had a tweezing addiction and we were her only hope. But last night, in that moment, I wanted to be Lindsee. And I just thought, "I am not going to spend money. I am an adult woman and I can tweeze my eyebrows".

So I got soaked a wash cloth in hot hot water and let it sit on my brows for 20 seconds or so. And then I sat myself down and got to pluckin'. I had to take a break every once in awhile. I was trying not to cry and every once in awhile Grantley would ask me "What is that sound you're making? What are you doing?". I then realized that I was making this whimper/moan/Owww sound as I was tweezing. But my visions of Lindsee empowered me to press on.

My eyebrows are well groomed this morning. And they were well groomed free of charge. Unless you count 15 minutes of excruciating pain as a charge. Cause I do.

Tropical Storm....or a Rainy Tuesday

I am grateful for Tropical Storm Edouard.

When I went to bed Monday night, he was headed STRAIGHT for Houston. At the end of the work day on Monday, we had an office meeting about whether or not we were going to work the next day. Our boss told us all to watch the news and "use our discretion". I was fairly confident that my discretion was going to advise me to not work. Just a guess!

So we woke up Tuesday morning... and it wasn't raining. The storm was supposed to hit Houston around 7:00am, which was okay by me since that was the time we would all be commuting to work and therefore we would all just decide to stay in our cozy beds.

When I turned on the news.... I was kinda ticked. Eduoard had taken a turn to the north east and was no longer headed towards Houston. Dang it.

Please don't get me wrong.... I do NOT want a giant hurricane to hit the city... but a lot of rain that would cause a day off work would be much appreciated.

Grant taunted me and told me to get over it and go to work. Rude. So I got all showered and dressed, called my boss and left her a voicemail telling her that I was coming to work but that I would be a little late.

Too bad that no one was at the office when I got there. The lights were out. Computers off. Silent. Empty. Soooooo I went and hung out with my mom, dad, Jaclyn, and Grace Parker all the day long.

Here's the funny thing: this tropical storm was totally overrated. It was nothing more than a rainy day in Houston.

Thank you, Edouard, for my day off.

Thank you, Jesus, for sending Edouard. :)

Not Much to Write About

There is not a whole lot going on..... it's been a good week, but rather uneventful. In times like these, a list-format post is the only way to go. Here are a bunch of randoms:

1. Last night we watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I LOVE those movies! And they kinda set it up for a sequel and I am all about that. I am a history nerd :)

2. This week I made a pork tenderloin for the first time and it was DELICIOUS. We had left overs for days.

3. We tried a new sandwich place for lunch yesterday called Which Wich. It was SO good and a cool concept too. It's my new favorite place to get a sandwich. Sorry, Subway. Plus, Jared is starting to annoy me.

4. Monday night, I had dinner with my Lindsee and my Joanna at the Olive Garden. We dipped our breadsticks in Alfredo dipping sauce and it was to DIE for. SO good!

5. Grant and I were discussing cars, and he mentioned that he would like to get a Jeep someday. He pointed one out to me, and I said, "I would be nervous putting a car seat in the back of that". Grant stared at me in shock. I mean, we're still a few years off but that IS our next life stage dear!!

6. Did anyone else have problems reading the blogs this weekend? I couldn't get to anyone's page! It just kept saying "Operation Aborted". I didn't tell you to abort the operation! WHAT IS GOING ON!? I was getting really panicked. But it's okay now.

7. I watched "Clueless" on the Oxygen channel. That movie is so classic and hilarious. It never gets old. Alicia Silverstone at her finest.

8. Our summer guilty pleasure has become "Wipeout". THAT IS FUNNY STUFF. We are actually excited when we get home from work on Tuesday nights because we know it is Wipeout night!

9. My dear friend Laura's husband is getting baptized this morning! We are so glad we get to be there to witness such an amazing moment.

10. I have to go shower and get ready for church!

I've missed ya'll!